In the dental field, especially in the field of dental technique, widely carried out is a method, in which a photo-curable material (may be referred to as “polymerization material”) is used to form a shape before the photo-curable material is cured (may be referred to as “polymerization”), and after the shape is formed, the photo-curable material is irradiated with light to be cured, to settle the shape, in manufacturing a dental prosthesis such as tooth restorations and artificial teeth. Polymerization apparatuses are devices for irradiating the photo-curable material with light to cure it.
Normally, in manufacturing a dental prosthesis, used are a preliminary polymerization apparatus and a final polymerization apparatus.
The preliminary polymerization apparatus is used when the material is stacked, for curing part of the stacked material, in order to prevent the part of the stacked material from deforming during work. In preliminary polymerization with the preliminary polymerization apparatus, a person who manufactures the dental prosthesis holds a half-manufactured dental prosthesis in hand, and irradiates portions where irradiation is required with light. This makes it possible to carry out local polymerization easily in a short time (For example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
The final polymerization apparatus is used after the material is all stacked, for uniformly polymerizing the entirety of the material as a finalization. Normally, the half-manufactured dental prosthesis before polymerization is placed in a chamber (container), and a closed space is formed by closing a door (cover) and the like, thereafter the entirety of the dental prosthesis is irradiated with light. The dental prosthesis is irradiated with light for, though depending on the size and fineness of the dental prosthesis, several minutes, whereby a sure polymerization is carried out. In view of carrying out polymerization efficiently, the dental prosthesis before the polymerization may be placed on a rotating table, and the polymerization is carried out by irradiating the dental prosthesis with light with the rotating table rotating (for example, Patent Literature 3).
Patent Literature 4 discloses a polymerization apparatus in which a preliminary polymerization apparatus is removably arranged next to a final polymerization apparatus, for convenience.